LIVE BLOG: Georgia seeks bowl bid (and revenge vs. Tech)
Georgia players, angered by a home loss to Tech in 2008, planted the "G" flag after last year's win at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
(This will serve as the Georgia live blog when the game starts. We’ll also have a Tech live blog on, as they say, another network.)
ATHENS — Hello and welcome to the last game this season that anybody at Georgia or Georgia Tech will remember.
The Jackets (6-5) still have a low-level bowl game to play. The Dogs (5-6) hope to still have a low-level bowl game to play. But tonight’s meeting is really about the final opportunity for either school to create a highlight in a
The memory of Tech players (like wide receiver Andrew Smith) mangling the hedges lingers with Georgia players.
mostly miserable season.
As Georgia defensive end Demarcus Dobbs said, alluding to the last four years of his senior class: “I don’t know if we’ve left a legacy. But I know if we don’t make it to a bowl game, that will be one legacy that we leave. … We’ve done a lot as a class. But the only thing that matters is how you finish. Nobody going to talk about the Sugar Bowl. They’re going to talk about what we did our senior year.”
Kickoff is still several hours away. But there’s no reason to wait until then to start the banter. This will serve as your live Bulldogs’ blog during the game. I’ll update it later when I get to the stadium.
A few thoughts before kickoff:
♦ Georgia is favored by as much as two touchdowns. Sounds about right. While strange things happen in rivalry games, the only absolute about either team is that the Dogs can put up points, led by the Aaron Murray-to-A.J. Green connection. In the last six games, Georgia has put up point totals of 41 (Tennessee), 43 (Vanderbilt), 44 (Kentucky), 31 (Florida), 55 (Idaho State) and 31 (Auburn). I realize Mike Bobo bashing is a favorite pastime of fans but offense hasn’t been the problem, defense has. And about defense . . .
♦ The only way I see Tech winning this game — other than via multiple Georgia turnovers and penalties — is if the Jackets run for a ton a yards and dominate in time of possession, keeping Georgia’s offense off the field. So the onus is on defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and the Dogs’ defensive front. The Jackets are without starting quarterback Joshua Nesbitt and their offense isn’t nearly as fluid with backup Tevin Washington.
♦ Tech coach Paul Johnson knows his team is undermanned this game. He’ll have to “steal” a possession or two. So a couple of trick plays, like a fake punt, wouldn’t be surprising.
♦ Neither team has a win over a quality opponent. The difference is Georgia still needs a win to become bowl eligible. If it can’t beat Tech, it doesn’t deserve a bowl. The Jackets had lost three straight until having to scramble to beat 3-8 Duke last week.
Now, about this rivalry. The road school has won the last three meetings. Tech has split two since Johnson’s arrival. But if the high point for this Georgia senior class was going 11-2 and winning the Sugar Bowl in 2007, one of the low points was losing to Tech at Sanford Stadium two years ago.
To punctuate the upset, Jackets’ players tore off pieces of the hedges — something Georgia coach Mark Richt has reminded his players of this week.
“Coach Richt’s definitely been quick to tell us about that,” guard Clint Boling said. “We’ve got pictures all over the locker room. We definitely know what they did last time they were in Sanford Stadium.”
Wide receiver Kris Durham, another senior, said: “That sticks out more to me than [beating Tech] last year. It’s something you remember. You can still Google and see the pictures. They’re very vivid online.
“Those [hedges] are sacred to us. That gets to you a little bit. We didn’t protect our own house. We didn’t protect the hedges. We can’t say anything bad about them tearing up our field because we didn’t prove it between the lines and they did. They beat us.”
OK, that’s it for now. If you missed it, here’s a link to my interview with athletic director Greg McGarity earlier in the week. He’s standing behind Richt and says the coach will be back next season, and I agree. While I’ve been critical of Richt and the direction of the program in the last two years, my view is he has earned the chance to turn this around.
I’ll check back later.
♦
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2,645 comments Add your comment
bugsquacher
November 27th, 2010
7:35 pm
Auburn’s history of major violations includes getting slapped with three years’ probation in 1957, three years’ probation in 1958, and a two-year ban on postseason and television appearances in 1979.
Auburn was held responsible for unethical conduct in November 1991 and sanctioned for unethical conduct and a lack of institutional control in August 1993.
The most recent instance of wrongdoing on the Plains occurred when Auburn was placed on two years’ probation on April 27, 2004. The N.C.A.A. news release announcing the latest penalties against the Plainsmen stated that, during the probationary period from April 2004 to April 2006, “the university shall continue to develop and implement a comprehensive educational program on NCAA legislation and submit periodic reports to the NCAA,” including “a preliminary report that sets forth a schedule for establishing this compliance and educational program.”
Jeff Schultz
November 27th, 2010
7:36 pm
Huh? — I hate snakes!
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 27th, 2010
7:36 pm
Kat
You are expecting A LOT hahahahha
Huh?
November 27th, 2010
7:36 pm
Katherine
This isn’t Oprah.
ScoutDawg
November 27th, 2010
7:36 pm
He!! yes NERD 7> 5,, so i see your just a wannbee NERD. How sad.
Katherine
November 27th, 2010
7:37 pm
Tucker T
November 27th, 2010
7:35 pm
Oh Katherine. You must not have been reading the blog before now. It’s already been ugly and it’s only going to get worse, no matter the outcome.
That’s what I figured…..we can all try to keep it civil anyways.
Tha
bugsquacher
November 27th, 2010
7:37 pm
enough said about cheating auburn…. its in the history books
Jeff Schultz
November 27th, 2010
7:37 pm
Seniors being introduced now. Kris Durham has received biggest ovation so far.
Huh?
November 27th, 2010
7:37 pm
Richie_Rich1986
Oh, I’m sorry. Do you need a diaper change?
Hit A Single
November 27th, 2010
7:37 pm
I thought Meyer and Saban were the best in the world and would never lose more than 1 or 2 games. Gee what the difference a year makes. In this business it can turn in a hurry.
Richie_Rich1986
November 27th, 2010
7:37 pm
@ Jeff,
Did you really not expect there to be growing pains on the defensive side of the ball this year with a new scheme and players that have been “coached up” by Willie Martinez? I knew this was going to be a rough year for the defense but they are showing promise. I’m exicted to see how far along the defense comes next season.
bugsquacher
November 27th, 2010
7:37 pm
go dawgs
Katherine
November 27th, 2010
7:37 pm
Huh….really? dang and I thought I was going to get an ipad…..
Huh?
November 27th, 2010
7:37 pm
“enough said about cheating auburn…. its in the history books”
So where’s the evidence?
st simon
November 27th, 2010
7:38 pm
I’d loves tight ends
Huh?
November 27th, 2010
7:38 pm
“Huh….really? dang and I thought I was going to get an ipad…..”
Oh, for a second I thought you wrote maxi pad.
Richie_Rich1986
November 27th, 2010
7:38 pm
HUH?
I dunno bout me but I’m sure south carolina will after they take a crap on Auburn in the SEC Championship game!
st simon
November 27th, 2010
7:39 pm
here is the evidence
Auburn’s history of major violations includes getting slapped with three years’ probation in 1957, three years’ probation in 1958, and a two-year ban on postseason and television appearances in 1979.
Auburn was held responsible for unethical conduct in November 1991 and sanctioned for unethical conduct and a lack of institutional control in August 1993.
The most recent instance of wrongdoing on the Plains occurred when Auburn was placed on two years’ probation on April 27, 2004. The N.C.A.A. news release announcing the latest penalties against the Plainsmen stated that, during the probationary period from April 2004 to April 2006, “the university shall continue to develop and implement a comprehensive educational program on NCAA legislation and submit periodic reports to the NCAA,” including “a preliminary report that sets forth a schedule for establishing this compliance and educational program.”
Huh?
November 27th, 2010
7:39 pm
“Huh? — I hate snakes!”
Yeah, but the ones in his movie were all CGI.
Huh?
November 27th, 2010
7:39 pm
“here is the evidence”
What does that have to do with 2010?
45ACP
November 27th, 2010
7:39 pm
Alcohol really does enhance the effects of percocet.
Katherine
November 27th, 2010
7:39 pm
Huh?
November 27th, 2010
7:38 pm
“Huh….really? dang and I thought I was going to get an ipad…..”
Oh, for a second I thought you wrote maxi pad.
Ohhh lolololol i get it…since i’m a girl…..LAME
Hit A Single
November 27th, 2010
7:40 pm
Richie – You worry about your weak comments and where have you been all day? Let’s go Dawgs it is about that time!
Huh?
November 27th, 2010
7:41 pm
“I dunno bout me but I’m sure south carolina will after they take a crap on Auburn in the SEC Championship game!”
If USC takes a crap on Auburn, they will all go to jail. Doing things like that may be acceptable at UGA, but in the real world it’s considered unsanitary.
By the way, for 12 straight games, dumb @sses like yourself have been predicting the demise of Auburn.
TWELVE AND OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH BABY!!!!!!!!
Huh?
November 27th, 2010
7:42 pm
“Ohhh lolololol i get it…since i’m a girl…..LAME”
How would I know that you’re a girl? This is a blog.
Aubie-won-knobi
November 27th, 2010
7:42 pm
Let’s give the puppies some payback hospitality and pull for Tech the way they did when they rode on the back of Bama the past two weeks, double-teaming, giving us crap and talking smack about the beatdown “Bama would give the Barners”! Ramble and Wreck-Em Tech! Auburn sends our condolences for having to play the biggest crybabies in the SEC – whining puppies! WAAAAAH!
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 27th, 2010
7:42 pm
45ACP
You have to throw a rib bone at the TV for me the first time UGA scores. Since you didn’t invite me to come eat with you. AHHAHAHA
Katherine
November 27th, 2010
7:42 pm
huh..if you are an auburn fan…why are you on a georgia/georgia tech blog? Don’t you have anything better to do?
Huh?
November 27th, 2010
7:42 pm
“Let’s go Dawgs it is about that time!”
Time to lose, that is.
Dawg555
November 27th, 2010
7:43 pm
Let’s play some ball!
Dawgman566
November 27th, 2010
7:43 pm
How did we lose to Florida? We haven’t beat a decent team all year and even if we win tonight we still won’t have accomplished that achievement.
Huh?
November 27th, 2010
7:43 pm
“if you are an auburn fan…why are you on a georgia/georgia tech blog?”
Just giving my support to Tech while irritating lame dawg fans like you.
“Don’t you have anything better to do?”
Pot meet kettle.
bugsquacher
November 27th, 2010
7:43 pm
Let the big dawgs eat…….
Katherine
November 27th, 2010
7:43 pm
Huh?
November 27th, 2010
7:42 pm
“Ohhh lolololol i get it…since i’m a girl…..LAME”
How would I know that you’re a girl? This is a blog.
Well lets see…my name is Katherine and you already talked to me about maxi pads…. idk call me crazy
Huh?
November 27th, 2010
7:43 pm
“How did we lose to Florida?”
By being a really bad team.
bugsquacher
November 27th, 2010
7:44 pm
georgia wins big tonight…… get readay nerds….. its going to hurt
TrishaDishaWarEagle
November 27th, 2010
7:44 pm
the UGA pre-game show on cbs is sponsored by baldies annonymous…studio lights and 3 bald men do not mix..
Jeff Schultz
November 27th, 2010
7:44 pm
Richie_Rich1986 — Did I expect growing pains to this extent? No. But we’ll see how much better things are next year.
Huh?
November 27th, 2010
7:44 pm
Let the big dawgs eat…….crap.
bugsquacher
November 27th, 2010
7:44 pm
tighten your chin straps
45ACP
November 27th, 2010
7:44 pm
Will do POAD. If anyone is looking for a job, don’t order ribs if they take you out to lunch or dinner as part of the interview.
Huh?
November 27th, 2010
7:44 pm
“Well lets see…my name is Katherine and you already talked to me about maxi pads…. idk call me crazy”
Ok, again I have no idea if you’re a guy, girl or a tranny.
Huh?
November 27th, 2010
7:45 pm
“tighten your chin straps”
So many jokes.
bugsquacher
November 27th, 2010
7:45 pm
does paul look scared….
Aubie-won-knobi
November 27th, 2010
7:46 pm
Richie Rich. Isn’t that what you whimpering puppies said about Bama? You’re 0 for 12 on your Auburn loss predictions. You may want to find a new line of work….being a bookie ain’t working out too well for ya. We’ll handle SCAR with ease second time around.
5150 P.O.A.D.
November 27th, 2010
7:46 pm
Breake BEN JONES Legs. Karma is a Bit.h. Go Jackets.
Huh?
November 27th, 2010
7:46 pm
“does paul look scared….”
Maybe you could go and hold him.
bugsquacher
November 27th, 2010
7:46 pm
8 of the last 9 baby! after tonight 9 of the last 10! wooooooo hooooooo…… come on, you nerds, feel the pain
Katherine
November 27th, 2010
7:46 pm
Huh?
November 27th, 2010
7:44 pm
“Well lets see…my name is Katherine and you already talked to me about maxi pads…. idk call me crazy”
Ok, again I have no idea if you’re a guy, girl or a tranny.
then why talk to me about maxi pads? It’s a little immature don’t you think?
ScoutDawg
November 27th, 2010
7:46 pm
Katherine he has never talked to a girl, except his momma. Just ignore.